Josh Bailey scores go-ahead goal in 1,000th game as Islanders beat Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Josh Bailey Song was heard at PNC Arena after he scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the second period. The Hurricanes’ fans cheered during a first-period stoppage when his 1,000th NHL game was acknowledged.

Those were nice moments for the longest-tenured Islander. But Bailey also got what he most wanted on Friday night.

A win.

The Islanders extended their winning streak to two with an impressive 6-2 victory over Carolina. It was their most complete game of the season and included a game-turning five-on-three penalty kill late in the second period after Bailey scored.

“It went well,” said Bailey, who lifted a backhander to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead at 16:26 of the second period — just 51 seconds after Carolina defenseman Brent Burns tied the score — to become, fittingly, the 12th player in NHL history to score the winner in his 1,000th game.

“That takes a whole team of guys buying in and playing hard for each other,” Bailey said. “It really just felt like a total, complete team win tonight. It’s a special one and it will be close to my heart for a long time.”

A brilliant Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves for the Islanders (4-4-0), who got their first road win. Brock Nelson scored twice in the third period to help Bailey celebrate his 1,000th game properly.

“Those things seem to happen to people who do things the right way,” said Cal Clutterbuck, Bailey’s teammate since 2013. “When you live your life honestly and you play the game honestly and you stick with it for that long, those things seem to happen to you. It was really fun to be a part of that.”

Bailey, 33, trails only Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier (1,123) and Denis Potvin (1,060) on the Islanders’ list of games played. He is the 73rd player in NHL history to skate in 1,000 games with one franchise.

The Islanders will honor Bailey with a pregame ceremony before facing the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche on Saturday night at UBS Arena.

“You probably can’t write it any better, him getting the game- winner,” said Nelson, also Bailey’s teammate since 2013. “He’s a huge part of the franchise.”

Nelson became the first Islanders center to score this season when he got to the crease for Anthony Beauvillier’s feed to make it 4-2 at 3:59 of the third period. Beauvillier again set up Nelson to make it 5-2 at 11:06.

The Islanders’ 28-for-28 penalty kill preserved that 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission, killing off a five-on-three power play that lasted one minute, 23 seconds and yielded two shots plus defenseman Dylan Coglan’s blast off the post.

“Your best killer is your goalie, and he was outstanding the whole game,” said Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who alertly handed his stick to defenseman Ryan Pulock as the Islanders skated two men down. “You’ve got to be in position and it’s desperation. Some big blocks by our defensemen.”

The Islanders, building off Wednesday’s solid 3-0 win over the visiting Rangers, blocked 28 shots.

Bailey was on the ice as Barzal fed Oliver Wahlstrom on a two-on-one rush to make it 1-0 at 16:29 of the first period. Martin Necas tapped in defenseman Brady Skjei’s feed to tie it at 1 at 8:57 of the second period. But Matt Martin connected on a wrist shot past Frederik Andersen (26 saves) to make it 2-1 at 14:29 of the second period.

Notes & quotes: Zach Parise scored a shorthanded empty-netter . . . Defenseman Alexander Romanov’s secondary assist on Bailey’s goal was his first point with the Islanders . . . Ross Johnston, Nikita Soshnikov and defenseman Robin Salo were the healthy scratches.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.